Evaporator



Oct. 6, 1925. 1,556,132

S. T. SMITH v EVAPORATOR Filed May 26, 1925 14177 0 EAL/5Y6 Patented Oct. 6, 1925. 4

A 1,556,132: PATENT: OFFICE? SAMUEL 'r. sm'rrr, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

EVA? ORATOR.

Application filed May 26, 1923. Serial No. 641,586.

- To all whom it may concern-.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL T. SMITH, a citizenof the United States, residing at- Los Angeles, in thecounty oftLos Angeles,

State of California, have invented a new and useful Evaporator, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to what is known as the absorption process for recovering gasoline from natural gas.

It is common practice to recover gasoline from natural gas, this recovery being accomplished either by a process of refrigeration or by absorption. In the absorption system a petroleum oil, having the general characteristics of what is known as mineral seal oil is used as a circulating medium or menstruum being circulated through an absorption tower in which it is finely divided and through which the natural gas, to be treated is also circulated. The tower is so constructed that oil and gas are brought into intimate contact with each other therein, the gasoline carried in the gas being absorbed in the body of the oil,"t he absorbed gasoline and oil being then withdrawn from the absorption tower.

My invention relates to the recovery of the gasoline from the absorbing medium. The principal object of the invention is to provide an evaporator by means of which the gasoline can be readily and etficiently separated from the absorbing medium.

Further objects and advantages will be set forth more in detail hereinafter.

In the drawings which are submitted merely for the purpose of illustrating a particular and practical embodiment of my invention,

5 Fig. 1 is an elevation partly in section ofan embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section on a plane represented by the line 22 of Fig. 1. I

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is a similar view at right angles to Flg. 3.

While my apparatus can be fabf'icated in J many forms, I prefer to build it up of cast on the bottom of the septum about the hole 16 for the purpose of providing lips. Over the top of each of the bosses 15 I provide a deflector 20, each of which consists of an inverted cup having notches 21 in the edge thereof. A cover 30 is secured to the to section 12 and a tight bottom 31 is secured to the bottom section 11. A vapor outlet pipe 32 is connected into the top 30 and is attached to a vacuum pump 33. The mixture of absorbing medium and gasoline is delivered into the top of the apparatus through a pipe 34 having a valve 35, and the spent absorbing medium is withdrawn from the bottom of the apparatus through a pipe 36 having a. valve 37 Directly below each of the septums 14 is placed a steam pipe 40, this pipe being supplied with steam through pipe 41 and the exhaust steam being withdrawn through pipe 42. The pipes 40 are supported directly below septum 14 and above the top of the deflectors 20, the.

steam coil being'so shaped and placed that the turns thereof come directly below the holes 16. Suspended below each of the holes 16 is a distributor pan 50 consisting of a sheet metal pan secured to the lower side of the septum 14 by any convenient means The method of operation of my invention is as follows:

' The absorbing oil containing the absorbed gasoline is delivered through the pipe 34 and is spread over theupper surface of the upper septum 14, rising to the top of the bosses 15. The liquid then runs down in a fine streamthrough the hole 16 and is distributed by the pans 50 upon the top of the steam coil 40, flowing downwardly thereove'r in a thin film. The li uid then collects on the next septum 14, building up a shallow pool of liquid thereon and flowing downwardly through the holes 16 in the bosses 15 thereon. The liquid thus flows downwardly through the apparatus, building up a pool on the top of each of the septums and flowing downwardly through the hole 16 and over the steam pipes 40. Theliquid is therefore gradually heated in its downward passage at the same time the vacuum pump 33 partially exhausts any pass through the notches'21 and bubble up ward through the pool of liquid on the septum 14.. The gasoline vapors thus pass constantly upwardly, bubbling in turn through each of, the pools of liquid and finally being withdrawn by the vacuum pump 33 through the pipe 32. The absorb-- 1ng medium which finally reaches the bottom of the apparatus is substantially free from gasoline vapors and is withdrawn through the pipe 36 and cooled before being put back in the absorbing tower.

While I have described my invention as applied to the removal of gasoline vapors from an absorbing medium, it should be understood that I do not limit myself to this particular application, the scope of-my invention being only, determined by the claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. An evaporator comprising: walls forming a gas tight enclosure; septums extending across said enclosure so placed as to form pools of menstruum on the upper surface thereof; a series of bosses on said septums extending upwardly therefrom and each having a vertically disposed [hole therethrough; a series of deflectors each being placed over one of said bosses and forming an inverted cup extending downwardly 'about said'boss; a series of heating coils,

each coil being placed below one of said septums and above the menstruum carried on the next lower septum, each turn of the heating coil being so placed that the drip through said vertically disposed holes falls on saidheating coil; means for delivering liquid to the space above an upper septum; means for withdrawing .liquid from the space below a lower septum; and means for withdrawing vapors rom the top of said enclosure.

2. An evaporator comprising: walls form-' ing a gas tight enclosure; septums extending across said enclosure so placed as to form through; a series of deflectors each being placed over one of said bosses and forming an inverted cup extending downwardly about said boss; a series of heating means, each placed below one of said septums and above the menstruum carried on the next lower septum, said heating means being so placed. as to receive liquid from said holes;

'a distributor secured. to thefllower surface means for withdrawing vapors from the top of said enclosure. p 3. 'An evaporator comprising: wallsforming a gas tlght enclosure; septums extend-= ing across said enclosure so placed as to form pools of menstruum on the upper surface thereof; a series of bosses on said septums extending upwardly therefrom and each having a vertically disposed hole therethrough; a series of deflectors each being placed over one of said bosses and forming an inverted cup extending downwardly about said boss; a series of heating coils, each coildoeing placed below one of said septums and above the menstruum carried on the next lower septum, eachturn of the heating coil being so placed that the drip through said vertically disposed holes falls on said heating coil; a distributor secured tothe lower surface of each septum below each of said holes, each distributor beipg so placed as to spread the oil over said heatingqneans'; means for passing a heating medium through said heatlng coil; means for delivering liquid to the space above an. upper septum; means for withdrawing liquid from the space below a lower septum; and meansfor withdrawing vapors from the top of said enclosure.

In testimony whereof, I havehereunto set my hand "at Los Angeles, California, this 

